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Tuesday, December 04, 2012

El sistema blows my mind off the adjectival planet

La sistema must surely be the envy of the world. A generation of kids brought up with free music tuition across a nation far removed from the white first world where the music they play originates. But they are not polite young musicians - there is all the wild testosterone in their playing that clearly excites European audiences, who normally hear beautifully nuanced performances of The Repertoire by their (our?) orchestras. The Last Night of the Proms is a fair exception. But how about this: not a bad headline for these kids: Dudamel and Bolivar Orchestra spark an audience frenzy at Symphony Center – Chicago Classical Review.

Now when they play for this TED talk, they really look like a bunch of kids before they start. The intellectual precision of their playing is astounding. It'd be impressive for Chicago or Berlin, but my god, these are kids, dressed up as kids. And the director of photography has unashamedly made the most of this.

I don't want to sound like a big fat white snob, but those kids don't look the part. Youth orchestras are usually made up of clean skinned white elegant polite smart kids. When I played in Sydney Youth Orchestra, our principal violinist was brought to and from rehearsal by a chauffeur. Yes, I know, egalitarian Australia - ha! The kids here look like they've been dragged up from somewhere. It suits my agenda very well to assume that these kids are exactly that. According to Wikipedia, 70 to 90% of the kids who play in the 125 youth orchestras across the country come from poor socio-economic backgrounds. Did you say 125 youth orchestras?

I live in the Czech Republic, a country with a pretty good history of music- think Smetana, Dvorak, Martinu and Janacek for a start. And Venezuela with c 30 mill inhabitants has three times the population. And yet how many extraordinary youth orchestras does CR sport? One third of 125? Not on your nellie.

It is interesting watching the audience in LA's response to the "incredible high school musicians from Venezuala" as the Ted Talk production is entitled. They look as though they are applauding an orchestra which is playing well. But they do not get what is behind it. If they did, they would be in tears, or silent. Or someone would say something. I don't think they don't get it.

Here is someone who gets it:

From Chile, I have the pleasure and orgasm of present you the Great Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra with The National Youth Choir of Great Britain, ...